Mr. President’s love for weddings

June 15, 2013 : OLALEKAN ADETAYO

Olalekan Adetayo

I woke up on Monday to see an SMS on my phone. It was from a friend and the message read, “Lekan, please help inform GEJ that my dad will be giving out my younger sister, Ngozi, in marriage on Saturday. He must attend the ceremony because all Nigerians are equal.” For those who don’t know, GEJ is an acronym for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, so the writer was referring to President Jonathan.

Since I just woke up, I had to go and wash my face before returning to read the message again to be sure it was meant for me. Not until when I called the sender that the full meaning of the message became clearer. The issue was to later become subject of discussions in many places during the week.

Last Saturday, President Jonathan attended two different weddings in quick succession in the nation’s capital. What’s the big deal about that? One of the weddings involved a daughter of a former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili. The former governor gave out his daughter, Njideka, in marriage to Uzoma Nwosu, at an elaborate ceremony attended by top politicians. Odili’s wife, Mary, is also a Supreme Court Justice, so it was not out of place for big men, including the President and his wife, Patience, to grace the occasion.

The one that raised concern most was a wedding service the President attended at the National Ecumenical Centre before going for the Odilis’ lavish reception that took place at the International Conference. That wedding was between one Muhammed Nuhu Yakubu and one Benedicta Uhorke.

Many were of the view that the couple and of course their parents do not fall into the big league that would warrant a ‘presidential attendance’ at their wedding. The event also attracted Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who arrived the church well ahead of the couple and had to wait endlessly for the service to start. He was apparently aware that the President would attend. Funny enough, unlike what obtains at almost all church services the President attends, Jonathan did not address the congregation.

The concerns raised, I believe, were borne out of the general belief, rightly or wrongly at that, that wherever the President goes, he carries the approximately 160 million Nigerians along with him, notwithstanding whether he goes there in his personal capacity.

For the sake of this column’s esteemed readers, I went out in search of what attracted our President to that wedding and I succeeded. My findings? I discovered that the bride has a connection with the Italian firm, Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited. Yes, that same firm that donated a 2,500 capacity church building to the President’s village, Otuoke, in Ogbia Local Government area of Bayelsa State. A case of one good turn…

odili the crook should be arrested with his ill gotten wealth.presdo identify with crooks..alams nko

Ak47

Cash and carry journalist. According to eye witness journalist. Don’t you have a news Shame on some nigeria journalist

Emeka

So because the man is president,he can not attend the wedding crermonies of friends and family without you journalists painting one negative picture of it.you should be ashamed of yourself for printing this rubbish in the name of journalism

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.